The embryonic stem cell research campaign tactic

The GOP have tried everything: the estate tax, gay marriage, flag burning, and gun safety locks.  Still, nothing is exciting their base as we edge closer to the November election.  So, with time running out and everything on the line, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist will start rolling out the God-card.  The Senate Republicans want to introduce an embryonic stem cell research bill this July, which would force Evangelical conservatives to unite with their Republican lawmakers and the President on this issue, thereby increasing voter turnout this November.  They want Democrats to go on record as killers of life -- as the GOP talking point usually goes.  Under this strategy, funding for embryonic stem cell research would pass, and Bush would then come to the rescue and veto it, which should help increase his approval among the pro-life crowd:

The bill passed the House last year and sponsors expect a broadbipartisan victory in the Senate, probably in July. However PresidentGeorge W. Bush has threatened to veto it.

The research would usestem cells derived from embryos leftover from fertility treatment butsome lawmakers who oppose abortion say the research is morallyunacceptable because it entails destruction of the embryos. Backers saythe research holds promise for numerous deadly or debilitating diseases.

Keep in mind that George W. Bush has yet to veto one spending bill since becoming president.  It looks like his first veto, if this does happen, will be against science.

Back to the whole strategy aspect of it all.  As far as fundraising goes, the Republicans need Bush's approval rating to be much higher.  It is currently suffering because of depreciated support within the GOP base for some of his domestic policies.  The more that conservative base voters support him, the more cash he can bring in for Congressional candidates running for reelection this November.  So in order to get his rating up, he needs to appear like he is standing up for Evangelical Christians in this veto against embryonic stem cell research.

How do I know this?  Being a political science and history student for the last four years, I have learned a lot about Lee Atwater-like campaign tactics.  And this one is so easy to sniff out.  The Republicans are desperate during this election cycle.  They are not going down without a fight -- even if that means smearing the Democrats more than they smeared John Kerry in 2004.

What can the Democrats do?  Stand on principle and support embryonic stem cell research.  Consistent with Al Gore's global warming theme, we want to be thought of as the pro-science political party.  Everyone knows someone that has either died or suffered from cancer.  This is not a winning issue for the Republican Party.  That will not stop the GOP from trying.  Like I said, being that Republicans are down in the polls, they are desperate.

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Other blogs writing about this issue: Solar Bird, Copeland Institute for Lower Learning, Period 2 Blog, Fight Aging,  Brown Pelican Society, Defcon, Political Forecast, Maha Blog, Baron Dave, Cross Left.